Montpellier E03 tumble dryer: what it means & what to check

What E03 actually means

The dryer thinks the condensed water tank is full, so it has stopped rather than risk overflowing.

A condenser dryer collects the water it pulls out of your washing in a tank. A float switch (the "aquaswitch") tells the control board whether that tank has room in it, and the machine checks this before it will run the pump that lifts water up into the tank. If that switch reads full — or reads nothing at all because it has come adrift or the float has broken up — E03 is shown and the cycle stops.

What E03 looks like on a Montpellier tumble dryer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Montpellier tumble dryer, E03 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Machine door won't open
Door won't lock or click shut
Door lock light flashing
Door stuck shut with the load inside
Won't start even with the door closed
Machine not draining
Water left in the drum at the end of the cycle
Stops mid-cycle full of water

Recognise any of those? That is this fault, and the rest of this page explains what causes it and what you can check yourself.

What usually causes it

Water tank genuinely full and needing emptying
Tank not pushed fully back into its housing, so the float sits wrong
Broken or waterlogged float inside the tank sensor
The pump that lifts water into the tank not shifting it, so water sits in the sump
Loose or damaged wiring at the aquaswitch itself

What you can safely check yourself

Work through these in order. Anything beyond this — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the machine plugged in.

Pull the water tank out, empty it, and slide it firmly all the way back in until it seats
Run a short cycle and check whether the tank is actually filling with water
Rinse the fluff filter in the door area under lukewarm water and let it dry before refitting
If the machine has a condenser you can access from the front without tools, take it out, rinse it and refit it
Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up again and restart

Which Montpellier models show E03

E03 means the same thing on all 17 of these models. If yours is not listed, the explanation above still applies — the code is set by the control board, not the model number.

MCD7W · MCSD7K · MIFF550FF · MNF1860W · MNF1860X · MTDC8SDC · MTDC8SDK · MTDC8SDS · MTDC8SDW · MTDSC7W · MTDSC8W · MWD8514W · MWM1014BLW · MWM814BLC · MWM814BLK · MWM814BLS · MWM814BLW

Common questions about Montpellier E03

What does E03 mean on a Montpellier tumble dryer?

The dryer thinks the condensed water tank is full, so it has stopped rather than risk overflowing. A condenser dryer collects the water it pulls out of your washing in a tank. A float switch (the "aquaswitch") tells the control board whether that tank has room in it, and the machine checks this before it will run the pump that lifts water up into the tank. If that switch reads full — or reads nothing at all because it has come adrift or the float has broken up — E03 is shown and the cycle stops.

Can I fix Montpellier E03 myself?

There are 5 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Pull the water tank out, empty it, and slide it firmly all the way back in until it seats.
Run a short cycle and check whether the tank is actually filling with water.
Rinse the fluff filter in the door area under lukewarm water and let it dry before refitting.
If the machine has a condenser you can access from the front without tools, take it out, rinse it and refit it.
Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up again and restart.

This sometimes clears with those checks. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly.

How much does it cost to repair Montpellier E03?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Tried the checks and it's still showing E03?

This sometimes clears with the checks above. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly. Then it wants someone who can open it up.

What it costs, before you call: the price is the same whatever the fault turns out to be — £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Our own engineers, not a call centre. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire — most tumble dryer faults are seen same day or next day.

Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need

Outside our area? The explanation above still stands — take it to a local engineer and tell them the code. Knowing it saves them time and you money.

Other Montpellier tumble dryer codes

All Montpellier fault codes and repairs →

Repairs we cover near you

Written by the engineers at ASAP Repairs, 0115 648 0929. We repair these machines for a living in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Montpellier E03 error — tumble dryer